By Sarah McLaughlin, Communications intern

With the recent tragedy in Moore, Oklahoma, a lot of you may be asking: What exactly is the Red Cross doing to help?

Well if you haven’t been watching the news lately or checking in on social media, let me fill you in!

It’s my first time being involved in a national disaster situation and being hands-on, I have learned SO much. From media interviews, to telethons and news releases about helping Oklahoma victims – life has been crazy–and I am not even in Oklahoma! I cannot even begin to imagine how incredible it must be to see the Oklahoma City American Red Cross disaster workers and volunteers, band together to support everyone affected by this horrible tragedy.

The Red Cross is diligently working around the clock with all those impacted by these horrific tornadoes and will be on the ground for weeks to get the people of Oklahoma back on their feet.

So now you may be asking yourself: How can I help? Great question!

Everyone is invited to come down to Busch Stadium tonight, prior to the Manchester City v. Chelsea soccer match, and be an active participant in the #STL4OKC campaign by donating funds for the Oklahoma disaster relief efforts. We are so thrilled to have Mayor Slay, St. Louis Rams’ Sam Bradford and Switch with us. By donating funds, you are responsible for giving Oklahoma victims immediate relief – donations can be accessed quickly and be used right away so people can get what they need most.

If you can’t make it to tonight’s event, #STL4OKC continues tomorrow at the Kirkwood Commons — where we will be from 8am-7pm accepting financial donations. Please stop by and take the time to give back to the victims of the Moore, Oklahoma tornadoes!

The Red Cross has shown me how important it is to be strong for others in the face of disaster, and although it may not seem like much, even a little help means the world to Oklahoma.

Don’t miss your opportunity to be a part of this amazing event!

It is officially AmeriCorps week – a time for AmeriCorps members and alums to be recognized for how they have been “Made in AmeriCorps.”  Our current members decided to spend some time helping out Brightside St. Louis.  We met Craig Schmidt, Alderman of the 20^th ward in St. Louis, and got to work cleaning up alleys.  Although it was cold outside, our hearts were warmed by the impact our service was making.  We could really tell how our work of picking up trash was really helping making the alleys cleaner.

As a spoof of Toby Keith’s Made in America song, we decided to rewrite the lyrics to fit the AmeriCorps week theme.  The lyrics reflect what we do on a daily basis.  See the lyrics below and watch out for the release of our music video!

Made in AmeriCorps

song courtesy of Toby Keith –  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaAF_3WMJGM

Disaster Dan is the man
Making sure people have a plan
And to make a kit and be informed.
It breaks his heart seein’ homes that are
Not prepared for a flood or fire.
Let’s help America beat the storm.
We wear the red, white, blue
And we get things done.
We work hard but we still have fun.
We will help the poor or those with more

To strengthen our community
Faced with adversity, we persevere
To make people safe throughout the year.
We take action, we are, made in AmeriCorps!
When disaster strikes, whether day or night
We are there to make things right.
We work together and collaborate.
We help you, make it through
First responders, we help you too.
We will respond any day.

(Chorus)

Born in the heartland,
Raised by volunteers
Thank you Clara Barton and Uncle Sam!

(Chorus)

Made in AmeriCorps
Made in AmeriCorps,
Disaster Dan, is the man,
He’s made in AmeriCorps.

Winter Storm Headed Towards St. Louis Area

Learn the Lingo –

Winter storm warning – severe winter conditions will begin within 24 hours if they haven’t already.

Winter storm watch – Winter storm conditions possible within 36 to 48 hours.

Winter weather advisory – Winter weather conditions are expected to cause inconveniences and may be hazardous.

How to prepare –

Put together a supply kit.

Three day supply of water – one gallon per person per day Three day supply of food – nonperishable and easy to prepare is usually the way to go. Warm clothing - Coats Gloves Hats Boots Extra Blankets Baby supplies - Bottles Formula Baby food Diapers Pet supplies - Collar Leash ID Food Carrier Bowl

Flashlight (with extra batteries) Battery or hand-crank weather radio (NOAA if possible) First aid kit Seven day supply of medication/medical items Multi-purpose tool Copies of personal documents Medication List Pertinent medical Information Proof of address Deed/lease to home Passports Birth certificates Insurance policies Extra cash Cell phone with chargers Family/Emergency Contact Information Personal sanitation and hygiene items Sand, rock salt or non-clumping kitty litter to make walkways less slippery

Winter Travel
It’s usually best to avoid travel during storms if possible. If travel cannot be avoided, be sure to take some precautions. At the very least- Have a full tank of gas Give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination Have an emergency kit in the car that includes: First Aid Kit Food Water Blankets Coat, Gloves, Hats Flashlight (extra batteries) Car charger for phone	.

Hello Ladies and Gents! Just wanted to give you a heads up about some things that are coming up –

Preparedness

The Emergency Preparedness Academy is taking place March 28th at Edward Jones North Campus.  The Academy is a great way to learn how to prepare for emergency situations for your company, business, and community.  Thos who participate will be able to develop and refine an emergency preparedness strategy.  To see a detailed agenda, click here.  To learn more and/or register, click on the image to the left.

Health & Safety

An American Red Cross aquatics school is coming up in mid-March, and will be hosted at Parkway South High School. For more information about class layouts, times, and costs — click on the image to the right.  If you are interested in classes for Lifeguarding, Lifeguarding Review, Lifeguarding Instructor, or Water Safety Instructor, click here to learn more and/or sign up for classes!

 

 

Hello ladies and gents, I’m (see photo), communications intern with the American Red Cross. You’ll be reading some stories from me from time to time. This is the first of a series of posts and stories titled “Pulse.”  Feel free to leave comments and get engaged with my stories and posts! I’m only in my second week at the Red Cross and I have already met many awesome people, some from our Disaster Assistance Teams, AmeriCorps, as well as Health and safety. Not to mention the cool peeps that I work with in the office on a regular basis. Some people may ask why intern for the American Red Cross? I give you my answer – the Red Cross carries an impressive legacy as a nonprofit organization, which makes it a great place for me to gain experience in nonprofit communications. Bring on the adventures. Speaking of adventures…

We are coming up on the anniversary of the 1993 flood. If anyone out there has any cool stories/photos of the flood of 1993, that involve the American Red Cross, please share them. Nothing is quite as exciting as searching through boxes of archived information (see photo), however, it would be great to hear from some of the blog readers to get a fresh look at your experiences with the American Red Cross in relationship to this historic flood.

 

Check back in the future to hear about some of the things that are going on both in the office and out.

Alex- Communications Intern

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